Other teams are getting in the way. But, if you believe that the Heat is the evil empire and you're happy to see them stumble, don't get giddy. And, if you're a Celtics' fan (or a Lakers' fan), don't get giddy, either. And, if you're a Heat fan, don't get depressed. It's a young season.

Patience seems to be one of the most rare commodities, especially in professional sports or even in the workplace, for that matter. But letting things play out, letting things grow, letting things, well, mature, is the art of the best managers. Sure, they have a sense of urgency, but everything cannot go from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat, and you cannot construct a high rise overnight. Similarly, you cannot expect the choreography of the Heat to be perfect given that none of those guys played together before early this fall. The meshing of the Heat will take some time.

Sure, the Celtics right now can act like the Old Masters with the young conductor (so mix a metaphor between oil paintings and symphonies), and, yes, the Lakers can be chomping at the bit waiting to defend their reputation, which they (rightfully) believe the media and others have dissed because of the assembly of the team to end all teams. The Celtics, though, will have to get their aging bodies up and down the floor 82 times during the regular season and countless times in the playoffs, and that pace could take its toll. Perhaps wine and scotch get better with age, but there are marginal returns for sports teams after they've aged too long. As for the Lakers, well, they're more intriguing, and, if the Heat were to mature into the team that everyone projected them to be, well, a Lakers-Heat NBA final could be one for the ages.

So, don't get too manic about the Celtics having one last day in the sun just yet. And don't get too giddy if you're a Heat hater that the Heat will be the biggest flop since the Titanic. And, yes, if you're a Heat fan, don't get too upset, because you're team has a chance to put it together, get into high gear and still lap most of the rest of the league. You can say that -- fans of about half the league's teams went into the season with little or no hope and will emerge from it the same way.